Here is our
photo prompt from Sally for week 7...
‘This week
take a moment to bring a little happiness to your soul and enhance your well
being. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty of flowers.’
My
grandmothers’ peonies gave her a lot of pleasure for many years. She planted a row of them, three different
colours, after her marriage to my grandfather in 1926. In the beginning, they
were white, pale pink and red, alternating colours along the row.
My
grandfather, besides being a market gardener, was a bee keeper. Over the years,
those bees cross pollinated the peonies to the point that they all ended up
being the same bright pink colour.
After my grandmother
passed away and the house was being put up for sale, several family members
went and dug up some of the tubers to plant in our yards. Surprisingly, they
actually flowered that first year after they were transplanted. We really were
not expecting that.
Because they
are a heritage species, grandma’s peonies are very fragrant unlike the modern
hybrids. I’m so glad that we were able to retrieve them before the old house
& property were leveled and replaced with a townhouse complex.
This photo
is from last summer. I know it’s cheating a bit to use an old photo but it’s
the middle of winter and the peonies are not blooming right now. My grandma’s peonies do bring a lot of
happiness to my soul and enhance my well being though. *smile*
And it seemed right to share that with you all this week.
i just love peonies, and this is a beautiful example! they are just so exuberantly romantic :)
ReplyDeleteLove the story about your grandmother's peonies and how you and some of your family members dug them up and replanted them in your yards. What a great way to remember your grandmother.
ReplyDeleteI love peonies! They are so big and lovely. We had several plants along one side of our house when we bought it, hubby thought they were weeds and pulled 2 of the 3 before I yelled STOP! So now I have one that produces beautiful blooms each spring.
ReplyDeleteIt's not cheating at all - you take pics of beautiful flowers whenever you can because they might not be there the next time and it's the only way to preserve them. I think the peonies your grandmother had are gorgeous and I'm glad you have them and that they bring a special smile and happiness to you - that's beyond priceless!
ReplyDeleteI love peonies as you'll note in my post! lol! They look so extravagant and you're so fortunate to have your Grandmother's!
ReplyDeleteI love peonies!! We don't have them here in So Cal, I've never seen them anywhere, but I grew up with them in Canada and just love them!
ReplyDelete(no. 45 this week)
i love your story as well as your flower! They are inspiring. When we move to another site on our property, I had better dig up some heirlooms.
ReplyDeleteGreat pic Bonnie. The lady across the street from where I grew up had the fragrant kind. Thanx for bringing back that memory.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you could save your grandmother's peonies. They are one of my favorite flowers. The fragrance and frilly bloom just seem to go together.
ReplyDeleteOh,they are glorious. And HUGE.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful that you all got to take a little bit of your grandmother's peonies with you. Very special. My mom had some bright pink peonies like that and they were very fragrant as well. I'd forgotten how nice the heritage peonies are.
ReplyDeletethank goodness you all rescued them, It would have broken my heart to think of something so special being wiped out. It really shouldn't be allowed! So glad you get to enjoy them still and think of her. I think it is a perfectly appropriate picture!
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe it's not a photo from this year but so what! It's a lovely tribute to your grandparents. And OMG! What a beautiful bloom! I love peonies but we don't get them in central Florida. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful memories with beautiful flowers! I know how you feel: my grandfather had a garden full of flowers (and bees) and I loved all of them, but I was very drawn to the peonies.
ReplyDeleteI tried for years to keep one here - but was unsuccessful (I figured out years later it was the soil of our first home: clay!) - until a few years ago when I bought my first one from Terra. Everybody told me it won't bloom the first year - but it did: 2 beautiful large (and not very fragrant) blooms!
I love yours - maybe I can convince you to share, I'd love to have some fragrance back :)
Gorgeous! Peonies are such a beautiful flower!
ReplyDeletePeonies are so beautiful, and so much more meaningful for you. Enjoy!
ReplyDelete